1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image output system, which comprises an image output apparatus for outputting image data, an information processing apparatus for transmitting the image data that is outputted from the image output apparatus, and a server apparatus connected to the image output apparatus and the information processing apparatus to facilitate communication with each other, and an information processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, along with increasing popularity of an image input and output apparatus, such as a multi-function peripheral, and networking thereof, problems of illicit use of the apparatus, and misappropriation of information thereby, have surfaced. On the other hand, a variety of proposals have been made to control the problems.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-268791 has proposed a system in which a detailed information of a job executed by each user is recorded as a log information in a large-capacity server, together with image data, so as to confirm, at a later date, who copied what, and when.
Furthermore, a system that detects an execution of an illicit job, and allows a follow-up research of a printed or transmitted image data, using the log information recorded in the server, has been proposed. The system would allow specifying the users who copied, printed, or transmitted a reference, and as well as the apparatus which was used in the job.
When the frequency of use of each image input and output apparatus in the system is high, however, the size of the log information transmitted to the server becomes huge. As a result, the network load upon transmitting the log information becomes heavier, thus lowering the operation performance of each image input and output apparatus.
On the other hand, in order to reduce the size of log information, the image data to be transmitted as log information may be compressed to have a low resolution or at a high compression ratio. In such a circumstance, the network load can be reduced. A new problem is posed, however: precision with regard to analyzing log information recorded in the server is degraded.